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Himamoni Deka,1 Putul Mahanta,2 Sultana Jesmin Ahmed,3 Madhab Ch Rajbangshi,4 Ranjumoni Konwar,5 Bharati Basumatari5 1Depatment of Anatomy, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam, India; 2Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Assam, India; 3Department of Community Medicine, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Assam, India; 4Department of Surgery, Tezpur Medical College and Hospital, Tezpur, Assam, India; 5Department of Radiology, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, Barpeta, Assam, IndiaCorrespondence: Putul Mahanta, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, Assam, 786002, India, Tel +919435017802, Email drpmahanta@gmail.comIntroduction: Asthma is a chronic lung illness marked by a reversible airway blockage. Both genetic and environmental factors influence higher asthma rates. The present study aims to assess the various socio-demographic and environmental factors influencing the causation of childhood asthma among patients attending the Paediatric Department of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam.Materials and Methods: A total of 150 clinically diagnosed asthma patients of 3– 12 years as cases and patients of the same age group free from respiratory diseases with no history of asthma in a 1:1 ratio as controls were selected. A predesigned and pretested proforma was used to collect data, and written informed consent was obtained from all the legal guardians of the participants. Data were analyzed by chi-square test and binary logistic regression using SPSS V20, considering a p-value < 0.05 significant.Results: Urban and male children were found to be at higher risk of developing asthma. Children belonging to the urban locality (OR= 4.53; 95% CI: 1.57– 13.09; p< 0.05), damp environment (OR= 5.21; 95% CI: 1.23– 22.10; p< 0.05), lower socioeconomic status (OR= 3.48; 95% CI: 1.34– 9.01; p< 0.05), presence of pets (OR= 6.77; 95% CI: 1.76– 25.99; p< 0.05), family history of atopy/ allergy (OR= 43.29; 95% CI: 5.80– 323.15 p< 0.05), smoking/passive smoking (OR=23.54; 95% CI: 1.41– 394.21 p< 0.05) and mixed feeding (OR= 4.47; 95% CI: 1.46– 13.63 p< 0.05) were the significant risk factors of childhood asthma.Conclusion: Children are vulnerable to environmental-induced asthma. Awareness and preventive measures are necessary to control and reduce the burden of childhood asthma.Keywords: asthma, environmental factors, children, allergy, atopy

Ultrafine-grained Al–9%Si–3%Cu alloy was achieved by a combination of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing and high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing in this investigation. The alloy was initially deposited layer-by-layer using a bi-directional scan strategy in LPBF with a scan rate of 1000 mms−1, a layer thickness of 40 µm and a hatch spacing of 200 µm, leading to a melt pool morphology with an average width of 150 µm and differing lengths. This led to a grain size of 722 nm and a dislocation density of 1.1 × 1014 m−2. This as-deposited alloy was then processed using HPT at room temperature using an applied pressure of 6.0 GPa and at a speed of one revolution per minute for different numbers of turns: half, one, five and ten turns. The alloy after HPT processing showed ultrafine grains with a grain size of 66 nm, well-dispersed nanosized intermetallic particles with sizes of 50–90 nm, the disappearance of the pool morphology and a notable dislocation density of about 6.2 × 1014 m−2 for the ten turns HPT-processed alloy. The as-deposited and subsequently HPT-processed samples were tensile tested at 298 and 573 K at different strain rates between 10−4 and 10−1 s−1. The elongation-to-failure and tensile strength were recorded and the fracture surfaces were also inspected using scanning electron microscopy and then correlated with the manufacturing, processing and tensile testing conditions. The alloy performance in tensile testing has been evaluated at ambient and elevated temperatures in terms of structural evolution and fractography for the first time. Ultrafine α-aluminium grains and nanosized eutectic silicon particles obtained by room temperature HPT-processing of the alloy have significantly improved the mechanical properties and microstructural stability at ambient and elevated testing temperatures for the HPT-processed additively manufactured alloy compared to the as-deposited additively manufactured and counterpart conventional alloys. The HPT-processed tensile samples showed a significant tensile strength of 700 MPa at 298 K and elongation-to-failure of 220% at 573 K, which is higher than that seen in the as-deposited tensile samples where 400 MPa and 106% are observed under the same testing conditions. Fractographic observations demonstrated that mixed brittle and shear ductile fractures dominated in the as-deposited tensile samples at 298 K, and tension ductile fracture dominated at 573 K. However, the HPT-processed tensile samples exhibited tension ductile and shear ductile fractures at 298 K, and tension ductile fracture at 573 K. The ultrafine-grained microstructure produced by the HPT application in the LBPF-manufactured alloy controls effectively the fracture mechanisms, dimple morphology and thus strength and elongation in comparison with the as-deposited additively manufactured microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Hypertension is one of the most common medical disorders complicating pregnancies and complicates 5 to 10% of all pregnancies., Aims: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension among pregnant women and to determine the associated obstetric risk factors of hypertension among them in rural areas of Dibrugarh district, Assam., Settings and Design: Community-based cross-sectional study., Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on pregnant women of villages under two health blocks at that point of time from May 2017 to April 2018. The sample size was calculated to be 384. The estimated number of pregnant women in each block was noted, and the pregnant women to be included from each block and from each sub-centre was determined by proportional allocation. Data were collected by house-to-house survey in the villages of the respective sub-centre. A pre-designed and pre-tested proforma was used to collect the data., Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analysed using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression., Results: A total of 384 pregnant women gave consent for participation. The prevalence of hypertension in pregnancy was 9.1%. Among the obstetric factors, multigravidity, multiparity, period of gestation >20 weeks, history of hypertension in previous pregnancy, and history of prior still birth were statistically significant risk factors of hypertension in pregnancy. Logistic regression analysis showed period of gestation >20 weeks to be independent predictor of hypertension in pregnancy., Conclusion: The awareness of obstetric risk factors for hypertension in pregnancy may give ways for prevention in this population., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Background: Depression during pregnancy is a significant health concern that can lead to a variety of short and long-term complications for mothers. Unfortunately, there is a lack of information available on the prevalence and predictors of prenatal depression in rural eastern Ethiopia. This study assessed prenatal depression and associated factors among pregnant women attending public health facilities in the Babile district, Eastern Ethiopia., Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 329 pregnant women attending Babile District Public Health Facilities from November 1 to December 30, 2021. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with prenatal depression. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was used to report the association, and the significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05., Results: The prevalence of prenatal depression was 33.1% (95% CI = 28.0%, 38.2%). A lower income (AOR = 3.85, 95% CI = 2.08, 7.13), contraceptive use (AOR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.28, 0.98), unintended pregnancy (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.27, 3.98), history of depression (AOR = 5.09, 95% CI = 2.77, 9.35), poor social support (AOR = 5.08, 95% CI = 2.15, 11.99), and dissatisfied marriage (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.30, 4.33) were the factors associated with increased prenatal depression among pregnant women., Conclusions: One in every three pregnant women in rural eastern Ethiopia had prenatal depression. Monthly income, contraceptive use, pregnancy intention, history of depression, social support, and marriage satisfaction status were the determinants of prenatal depression. Preventing unintended pregnancies by encouraging women to utilize modern contraceptive methods is essential for mitigating and controlling the risks and burdens of prenatal depression and its negative consequences., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Objectives: Asthma is a common, chronic, atopic respiratory disease that is on the rise among children and adults worldwide. Various environmental, genetic, and biological interactions contribute to the surge in susceptibility to this disease. Interleukin (IL) genes, particularly IL-4 and IL-13, have been linked to asthma pathogenesis. The present study aims to investigate the genetic aberrations, specifically single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-4 and IL-13, and their association with childhood asthma and its severity., Methods: An unmatched hospital-based case-control study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Assam, India. The sample size was calculated to be 120 (60 cases and 60 controls) using the Epi Info software version 7.2 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA), assuming a confidence interval of 95%, a power of the study at 80%, a ratio of control to cases as 1, a proportion of controls with exposure at 22%, and a proportion of cases with exposure at 46%. A total of 53 clinically diagnosed cases of childhood asthma in the age range of three to 12 years and 39 healthy controls free from respiratory diseases and having no history of asthma and/or allergy of the same age group attending a tertiary care hospital were included in the study. Children who never had asthma or allergies and who did not suffer from any upper or lower respiratory infections for the previous four weeks were considered controls. Prior informed consent and ethical clearance were obtained. Very seriously ill cases and controls were excluded from the study. The genetic investigation used polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), to discover SNPs in the IL-4 and IL-13 genes. Sequencing analysis was done for the cases with +2044 G>A of the IL-13 gene in relation to the severity of the disease. The difference in the proportions of specific SNPs between cases and controls was analyzed using the χ2   test (a p-value of <0.05 was considered significant)., Results: Both the rs2070874 and rs2243250 polymorphisms of IL-4 showed no statistically significant associations. The mutation of the IL-13 gene in 1111C>T was higher among cases than controls. Both genotypic and allelic distributions of the +2044G>A polymorphism of the IL-13 gene revealed a significant association (p<0.05) with the severity of the disease., Conclusion: Genetic aberrations in SNPs of IL-4 and IL-13 are prevalent among the pediatric patients of the study region. The SNP +2044G>A of IL-13 is instrumental in disease manifestation and severity among the pediatric population of the study region., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Deka et al.)

Insulin is the cornerstone of treatment in type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, because of its protein structure, insulin has to be administered via injection, and many attempts have been made to create oral formulations, especially using nanoparticles (NPs). The aim of this study was to compare the hypoglycemic effect of insulin-loaded NPs to that of subcutaneous insulin in an in vivo rat model of diabetes. We used biodegradable D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate-emulsified, chitosan-capped poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) NPs loaded with soluble human insulin in a dose of 20 IU/kg body weight, and examined the physical characteristics of NPs in vivo and in vitro. Serum glucose levels were reduced after 6 h, but the difference was not significant compared to subcutaneous insulin; at 12 h and 24 h, insulin levels were significantly higher in rats treated with NPs than in rats treated with subcutaneous insulin. There was no significant difference in serum insulin levels at 12 h and 24 h compared to non-diabetic rats. Our findings suggest that chitosan-based NPs are able to maintain good glycemic control for up to 24 h and can be considered a potential carrier for oral insulin delivery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 by the authors.)

A series of four homologous silicides have been discovered during systematic explorations in the central part of the La-Ni-Si system at 1000 °C. All compounds La 12.5 Ni 28.0 Si 18.3 ( n = 3; a = 28.8686(8), c = 4.0737(2) Å, Z = 3), La 22.1 Ni 39.0 Si 27.8 ( n = 4; a = 20.9340(6), c = 4.1245(2) Å, Z = 1), La 32.9 Ni 49.8 Si 39.3 ( n = 5; a = 24.946(1), c = 4.1471(5) Å, Z = 1), and La 44.8 Ni 66.1 Si 53.4 ( n = 6; a = 28.995(5), c = 4.158(1) Å, Z = 1) crystallize in the hexagonal space group P 6 3 / m and can be generalized according to La n ( n +1)+ x Ni n ( n +5)+ y Si ( n +1)( n +2)- z with n = 3-6. Their crystal structures are based on AlB 2 -type building blocks, fused La-centered Ni 6 Si 6 hexagonal prisms, yielding larger oligomeric equilateral domains with the edge size equal to n . The domains extend along the c axis and show checkered ordering of the cationic and anionic parts, while all their atoms are located on mirror planes. La n ( n +1)+ x Ni n ( n +5)+ y Si ( n +1)( n +2)- z can be considered as a mirror series to the La-rich La ( n +1)( n +2) Ni n ( n -1)+2 Si n ( n +1) , where an exchange of the formal cationic and anionic sites, i.e., La and Si, occurs. The La-Ni-Si system is the first system where two such analogous series have been observed.

This study developed and tested a moderated mediation model by examining the relationships between humble leadership (HL), emotional intelligence, employee conflict (EC), and creative performance (CP), using resource-based theory as the theoretical foundation. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 322 employees and their immediate supervisors ( n = 53) from the telecom sector in Pakistan. The data was analyzed using AMOS 21 and SPSS 26. The results demonstrate that HL has a positive effect on creative performance and a negative relationship with employee conflict. Furthermore, employee conflict has a negative impact on CP and mediates the impact of HL on CP. Moreover, a leader's emotional intelligence moderates the negative relationship between HL and EC. Finally, this study reveals that EI moderates the indirect effects of HL on CP. The conclusions and implications are discussed at the end of this paper.

Although it has been long recognized that leader-member exchange social comparison (LMXSC) has critical implications for employee productivity, little attention has been given to systematically exploring the effects of LMXSC on employee performance in a specific cultural context. Integrating social exchange theory with social comparison theory, we examine a dual process model to explain how and when LMXSC affects employee performance outcomes in the Chinese context. Results based on multiphase, multisource data from China revealed that the mediating roles of employees' perceived obligation toward the leader and self-esteem are examined simultaneously in the relationship between LMXSC and job performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Additionally, guanxi strengthens the connection between LMXSC and perceived obligation, while Zhongyong thinking erodes the connection between LMXSC and self-esteem. Taken together, these findings enhance our understanding of LMXSC in China., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Yang, Chen, Chen and Ahmed.)

This study reports the theoretical investigations on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of titanium-based fluoro-perovskites MTiF 3 (M = Cs and Rb) using density functional theory. The impact of on-site Coulomb interactions is considered, and calculations are performed in generalized gradient approximation with the Hubbard U term (GGA + U ). The ground state parameters, such as lattice constants, bulk modulus, and pressure derivatives of bulk modulus, were found. These compounds are found stable in cubic perovskite structures having lattice constants of 4.30 and 4.38 Å for RbTiF 3 and CsTiF 3 , respectively. Analysis of elastic properties shows that both of the compounds are ductile in nature. According to the band structure profile, the examined compounds have a half-metallic character, exhibiting conducting behavior in the spin-up configuration and nonconducting behavior in the spin-down configuration. The ferromagnetic nature is conformed from the study of its magnetic moments. The optical behaviors such as reflectivity, absorption, refraction, and conductivity of the cubic phase of MTiF 3 (M = Rb and Cs) are studied in the energy range of 0-40 eV., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Low loss Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) series, i.e., (Sr 1-x Ca x ) 5 Ti 4 O 13 , 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.06, has been synthesized by a mixed oxide route. In this work, the substitution of Ca 2+ cation in Sr 5 Ti 4 O 13 sintered ceramics was chosen to enhance the structural, optical, and dielectric properties of the product. It was found that the Ca 2+ content has significant effects on enhancing the dielectric properties as compared to Mn and glass additions. It was observed that the relative density, band gap energy, and dielectric loss (tangent loss) increase while relative permittivity decreases along with Ca 2+ content. High relative density (96.7%), low porosity, and high band gap energy (2.241 eV) values were obtained in (Sr 1-x Ca x ) 5 Ti 4 O 13 , 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.06 sintered ceramics. These results will play a key role in the application of dielectric resonators.

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in under-five children worldwide. Assam has around 2500 river islands (locally called Chars/Chaporis) in the Brahmaputra River with socioeconomically deprived inhabitants lacking access to basic health-care facilities. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 380 under-five children living in the Char areas of Tinsukia District to estimate the prevalence of ARI and determine the associated risk factors. The prevalence of ARI among under-five children was found to be 56.32%. Prevalence was significantly higher among children living in Dibru-Saikhowa island, with families having >2 children, belonging to socioeconomic class 5 (modified BG Prasad scale), having a positive history of smoking or ARI in family members, having homes with attached kitchens or using wood for cooking, inadequate ventilation or overcrowding and residences of katcha ghars., Competing Interests: None

This study presents a modification of structure-dependent elastic, thermodynamic, magnetic, transport and magneto-dielectric properties of a Ni-Zn-Co ferrite tailored by Gd 3+ substitution at the B-site replacing Fe 3+ ions. The synthesized composition of Ni 0.7 Zn 0.2 Co 0.1 Fe 2- x Gd x O 4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.12) crystallized with a single-phase cubic spinel structure that belongs to the Fd 3̄ m space group. The average particle size decreases due to Gd 3+ substitution at Fe 3+ . Raman and IR spectroscopy studies illustrate phase purity, lattice dynamics with cation disorders and thermodynamic conditions inside the studied samples at room temperature (RT = 300 K). Ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition was observed in all samples where Curie temperature ( T C ) decreases from 731 to 711 K for Gd 3+ substitution in Ni-Zn-Co ferrite. In addition, Gd 3+ substitution reinforces to decrease the A-B exchange interaction. Temperature-dependent DC electrical resistivity ( ρ DC ) and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) have been surveyed with the variation of the grain size. The frequency-dependent dielectric properties and electric modulus at RT for all samples were observed from 20 Hz to 100 MHz and the conduction relaxation processes were found to spread over an extensive range of frequencies with the increase in the amount of Gd 3+ in the Ni-Zn-Co ferrite. The RLC behavior separates the zone of frequencies ranging from resistive to capacitive regions in all the studied samples. Finally, the matching impedance ( Z / η 0 ) for all samples was evaluated over an extensive range of frequencies for the possible miniaturizing application., Competing Interests: There is no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Introduction: For decades, viral diseases have been treated using medicinal plants and herbal practices in the northern part of Nigeria. Though scarcely investigated, these medicinal plants could serve as potential sources for novel antiviral drugs against emerging and remerging viral diseases. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the medicinal practices and plants used to treat emerging and re-emerging viral diseases including hepatitis, poliomyelitis, monkeypox, smallpox, yellow fever, Lassa fever, meningitis, and COVID-19 in some northern states; Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara and Sokoto states., Method: Administered questionnaires and oral interviews were used to collect information on medicinal plants, method of preparation of herbal formulations, diagnosis, and treatment of viral diseases. Medicinal plants were collected, botanically identified, and assigned voucher numbers. The plant names were verified using www.theplantlist.org, www.worldfloraonline.org and the international plant names index., Result: A total of 280 participating herbal medicine practitioners (HMPs) mentioned 131 plants belonging to 65 families. Plant parts such as roots, bark, leaf, seed, and fruit were prepared as a decoction, concoction, infusion, or ointment for oral and topical treatment of viral diseases. Moringa oleifera (75.3%), Elaeis guineensis Jacq . (80%), and Acacia nilotica (70%) were the most frequently mentioned plants in Kebbi, Kwara and Sokoto states, respectively., Conclusion: The study revealed scarcely investigated and uninvestigated medicinal plants used to treat hepatitis, poliomyelitis, monkeypox, smallpox, yellow fever, Lassa fever, meningitis, and COVID-19. Future studies should be conducted to determine the antiviral potency and isolate novel bioactive agents from these plants against viral diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

In the lacunar spinels, with the formula AB 4 X 8 , transition-metal ions form tightly bound B 4 clusters resulting in exotic physical properties such as the stabilization of Néel-type skyrmion lattices, which hold great promise for energy-efficient switching devices. These properties are governed by the symmetry of these compounds with distortion of the parent noncentrosymmetric F 4̅3 m space group to the polar R 3 m , with recent observation of a coexisting Imm 2 low-temperature phase. In this study, through powder neutron diffraction, we further confirm that a metastable Imm 2 coexists with the R 3 m phase in GaMo 4 Se 8 and we present its structure. By applying the mode crystallography approach to the distortions together with anisotropic microstrain broadening analysis, we postulate that the formation origin of the minority Imm 2 phase stems from the high compressive stress observed in the R 3 m phase. Bond valence sum analysis also suggests a change in electronic configuration in the transition to Imm 2 which could have implications on the electrical properties of the compound. We further establish the nature of the magnetic phase transition using critical exponent analysis obtained from single-crystal magnetization measurements which shows a mixture of tricritical mean-field and 3D Heisenberg behavior [β = 0.22(4), γ = 1.19(1), and δ = 6.42(1)]. Magnetoentropic mapping performed on a single crystal reveals the signature of a positive entropy region near the magnetic phase transition which corresponds to the skyrmion phase field observed in a polycrystalline sample., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Aim of the Study: To highlight the impact of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele on susceptibility and prevention of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in Iraqi children., Material and Methods: We conducted a prospective study from children attending the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Clinic of Children's Welfare Teaching Hospital over five years from the first of September 2015 to the thirty-first of August 2020. It included 19 patients with AIH; their age (at time of diagnosis) ranged between 3 and 16 years, with a female predominance of 78.9%. The diagnosis was made by clinical, serological, and histological features. In addition, 20 age- and sex-matched unrelated subjects of the same ethnic background were selected randomly from healthy individuals undergoing checkup as controls., Results: 19 patients diagnosed with AIH were included in this study, and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, with a female predominance of 78.9%. The commonest autoantibodies found were smooth muscle antibody (SMA) in 13 (68.4%), antinuclear antibody (ANA) in 11 (57.9%). In AIH type 1, PCR showed higher frequencies among patients with HLA-DRB1*03, HLA-DRB1*04, HLA-DRB1*13 alleles in patients with AIH; moreover DRB1*11 and DRB1*15 were less frequent than in the control group. Frequency of HLA-DRB1*04 was 28% and HLA-DRB1*13 was 20% in AIH type 2 patients; HLA-DRB1*13 and HLA-DRB5 showed frequency of 25% for both and HLA-DRB4 frequency was 18.7%., Conclusions: HLA-DRB1*13, DRB1*04, and DRB1*03 are susceptibility alleles for the development of AIH type 1, while HLA-DRB1*13, HLA-DRB4 and DRB5 are susceptibility alleles for the development of AIH type 2 in Iraqi children., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Clinical and Experimental Hepatology.)

Objectives: Determine if sex differences exist in clinical characteristics and outcomes of adults hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a US healthcare system., Design: Case series study., Setting and Participants: Sequentially hospitalized adults admitted for COVID-19 at two tertiary care academic hospitals in New Orleans, LA, between 27 February and 15 July 2020., Measures and Outcomes: Measures included demographics, comorbidities, presenting symptoms, and laboratory results. Outcomes included intensive care unit admission (ICU), invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and in-hospital death., Results: We included 776 patients (median age 60.5 years; 61.4% women, 75% non-Hispanic Black). Rates of ICU, IMV, and death were similar in both sexes. In women versus men, obesity (63.8 vs 41.6%, P < 0.0001), hypertension (77.6 vs 70.1%, P = 0.02), diabetes (38.2 vs 31.8%, P = 0.06), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, 22.1 vs 15.1%, P = 0.015), and asthma (14.3 vs 6.9%, P = 0.001) were more prevalent. More women exhibited dyspnea (61.2 vs 53.7%, P = 0.04), fatigue (35.7 vs 28.5%, P = 0.03), and digestive symptoms (39.3 vs 32.8%, P = 0.06) than men. Obesity was associated with IMV at a lower BMI (> 35) in women, but the magnitude of the effect of morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40) was similar in both sexes. COPD was associated with ICU (adjusted OR (aOR), 2.6; 95%CI, 1.5-4.3) and IMV (aOR, 1.8; 95%CI, 1.2-3.1) in women only. Diabetes (aOR, 2.6; 95%CI, 1.2-2.9), chronic kidney disease (aOR, 2.2; 95%CI, 1.3-5.2), elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (aOR, 2.5; 95%CI, 1.4-4.3), and elevated ferritin (aOR, 3.6; 95%CI, 1.7-7.3) were independent predictors of death in women only. In contrast, elevated D-dimer was an independent predictor of ICU (aOR, 7.3; 95%CI, 2.7-19.5), IMV (aOR, 6.5; 95%CI, 2.1-20.4), and death (aOR, 4.5; 95%CI, 1.2-16.4) in men only., Conclusions: This study highlights sex disparities in clinical determinants of severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients that may inform management and prevention strategies to ensure gender equity.

Background: Neonates managed in neonatal intensive care units undergo several invasive procedures. However, neonatal procedural pain is not well recognized and managed in most neonatal units., Aims: To decrease the severity of procedural pain in preterm neonates (<37 weeks gestational age at birth), as measured by Premature Infant Pain Profile , by 50% by April 2020., Methods: A quality improvement initiative was conducted in a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit in South India. The pain was assessed independently by 2 interns not involved in clinical care using Premature Infant Pain Profile. After a baseline data recording and questionnaire assessing knowledge of healthcare personnel regarding neonatal pain, the interventions were planned. These were conducted as plan-do-study-act cycles-(i) Educational sessions, (ii) Introduction of bedside visual aids, (iii) Simulation sessions demonstrating the use of nonpharmacological measures and introduction of procedure surveillance chart in daily rounds, and (iv) Video feedback-based sessions. In the maintenance phase, the observations were continued., Results: The healthcare personnel under recognized pain related to heel pricks and endotracheal intubation. They also had poor awareness of signs and symptoms of neonatal pain. A total of 202 procedures were observed during the study period. The mean pain score decreased significantly from 12.8 ± 4.5 in baseline period to 6.2 ± 1.8 in the maintenance phase. The use of analgesic measures increased from 13% in the baseline period to 73% in the maintenance phase. The use of automated lancet for heel prick increased from 0% to 94% in maintenance phase. More and more procedures were done with appropriate environment and baby state. The mean number of procedures per day decreased from 6.5 ± 1.8 in baseline period to 2.7 ± 0.9 in the maintenance phase., Conclusions: Targeted interventions can improve neonatal procedural pain management by improving use of analgesic measures, decreasing the number of procedures, and educating and training healthcare personnel., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: This study aimed at examining health sufferings of readymade garments (RMG) workers, the factors that affect their health sufferings, their healthcare seeking pattern, knowledge about health insurance and health related rights in Bangladesh., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 486 RMG workers recruited randomly from eight garments factories located on the periphery of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, headache, fever and abdominal pain was estimated and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine association between these illnesses of workers and their socio-demographic characteristics and other work related information. We also explored their healthcare seeking patterns, knowledge about health insurance and health related rights., Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, headache, fever and abdominal pain was found to be 78.1%, 57.9%, 52.2% and 24.6%, respectively, among the RMG workers. Factors that increased the odds of: musculoskeletal pain were working for more than 10 h per day (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-4.7) and being female [AOR: 4.6, 95% CI: 2.0-10.6]; fever was living in slums [AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1-3.5]; and abdominal pain was being female [AOR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.4-9.3]. The workers commonly reported visiting drug sellers in local pharmacies for reported illnesses. They also had better knowledge of health related rights but poor knowledge of health insurance., Conclusion: In order to address the overall health and well-being of the RMG workers, it is imperative to lay out a blueprint for a safe and healthy workplace., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Transition metal compounds with complex crystal structures tend to demonstrate interesting magnetic coupling resulting in unusual magnetic properties. In this work, the structural and magnetic characterization of a single crystal of the Ni-Mn-Si based G-phase compound, Mn 6 Ni 16 Si 7 , grown by the Czochralski method, is reported. In this structure, isolated octahedral Mn 6 clusters form an fcc lattice. As each octahedron consists of eight edge-sharing equilateral triangles, the possibility for geometric frustration exists. Magnetization and specific heat measurements showed two magnetic phase transitions at 197 and 50 K, respectively. At 100 K neutron diffraction on powder samples shows a magnetic structure with k = (001) in which only four of the six Mn spins per cluster order along ⟨100⟩ directions giving a two-dimensional magnetic structure consistent with intracluster frustration. Below the 50 K phase transition, the Mn spin-cants away from ⟨100⟩ directions, and a weak moment develops on the two remaining Mn octahedral sites.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is one of the most commonly used indices to measure the weight status of an individual. However, it takes only height and weight of individual into account. The relative body composition can be calculated regardless of height and weight by body fat percentage (BF%)., Objectives: The objectives of the study are (1) To assess the prevalence of obesity using BMI and BF% among early adolescents studying in schools of Dibrugarh. (2) To assess the relationship between BMI and BF%., Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 1200 school going adolescents of 10-14 years in Dibrugarh town for 1 year. Weight status was assessed using the World Health Organization-2007 reference for BMI and the McCarthy's body fat reference. Data were presented using percentages and mean with standard deviation. The correlation between the anthropometric variables was calculated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Kappa statistics was used to analyze the agreement., Results: Total participants included in the analysis were 1096 with a response rate of 91.3%. The prevalence of overweight and obesity by BMI was 20.9% and 10.2%, respectively. According to BF%, overweight was present in 16.4% participants and 10.9% were obese. Of the 625 normal weight participants (according to their BMI), 9.0% were overweight and 1% were obese under BF% criteria. Again, of 682 participants who were normal by BF%, 15.2% were categorized as obese by BMI criteria. BMI and BF% had a significant high positive correlation (r = 0.70 and P < 0.001). The measurement of agreement by Kappa statistics was 0.621 which was significant (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: BMI and BF% positively correlate with each other. BMI accompanied by BF% in the studies might give a better picture of the adiposity of an adolescent., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Objective Digital marketing is replacing traditional marketing strategies in the pharmaceutical industry. This study evaluated multiple aspects of the use of social media by the physicians of Pakistan, the current role of digital marketing in the pharmaceutical industry, and its impact on the change in clinical practice. Methods This cross-sectional study included physicians working in various clinical settings with at least five years of clinical experience. The participants were surveyed on social media tools used, knowledge of digital marketing tools, and the digital presence of themselves as physicians. We also assessed their knowledge of digital marketing by the pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan and its potential influence on changes in their clinical practice. Results Seven hundred eighteen physicians were included after taking informed consent. The mobile application WhatsApp (WhatsApp Inc., Menlo Park, CA) was the most frequently used application per week for medical-related purposes. Webinars/webcasts had the highest duration of use per week but were attended by only a few physicians, followed by mobile applications and informative health websites. The most frequently available digital marketing channels were found to be WhatsApp (29.94%), informative health websites (26.7%), and mobile applications (20.6%). Less frequently available tools were e-detailing (8.1%), webinars/webcasts (7.7%), tele-detailing (6.0%), self-directed web-detailing (5.2%), and marketing emails (4.2%). However, despite the limited use, webinars/webcasts had the strongest influence for changes in clinical practice (48%), followed by websites (42%), mobile applications (41%), WhatsApp (37%), and self-directed web-detailing (36%). Conclusion Despite limited use, the percentage of influence for clinical practice changes was highest for webinars/webcasts followed by websites, mobile applications, and WhatsApp. There is potential for increased use of digital promotion strategies from Pakistan's pharmaceutical sector., Competing Interests: Clinision, Shahrah-e-Faisal Rd, Karachi provided support for administrative work (printing, data collection, statistical analysis, and initial drafting of paper) for this study.

Objectives: Recently pharmaceutical marketers have expanded their audience by directly to the consumers advertising (DTCA) which is almost always limited to non-prescription drugs. DTCA has substantial effects on patient behavior and physician prescription. The aim of this study was to assess the perspectives of physicians regarding the rapidly proliferating trend of direct to consumer marketing of nutraceutical drugs (ND)., Methods: It was a cross-sectional study from June 2016 to December 2016 which included 325 physicians from various cities of Pakistan who completed a structured questionnaire after providing informed consent. Questions were asked to assess physicians' perception of the increasing trend of Direct to Consumer advertisement of nutraceuticals and its influence on their practice. The data was analyzed using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA)., Results: There were 182 (56%) male and 143 (44%) female physicians in the study. Most of them were general practitioners (48%), spent an average weekly time of 1-2 hours gaining medical knowledge (56%), and most of them (52%) utilized internet as their source. Most physicians (88%, n=286) experienced knowledgeable patients who inquired about their diseases and treatment plans. Most of the physicians believed that e-detailing (72%, n=234) and DTCA (68%, n=221) of nutraceuticals helps practitioners in shaping a more effective treatment plan. Almost (62%, n=201) physicians prescribed medications their patients requested them to., Conclusion: Physician perception of DTCA and e-detailing of nutraceuticals seems to be promising. However, physicians must be more prepared to deal with knowledgeable patients and put in maximum efforts to counsel them in such a manner that the prescription doesn't contain "request specific" drugs but only the ones that are most beneficial for the patients.

Aim: To assess risk factors of diabetes mellitus amongst the executives of an industrial area of North East India., Material and Method: Executive the aged 20 to 60 years were selected by simple random sampling in a community based cross-sectional study. The sample size was 340. Data was collected by a predesigned pretested proforma to know about different risk factors. Fasting capillary blood glucose and 2h capillary blood glucose were taken to assess diabetes mellitus., Results and Observation: 30.7% of the male and 18.4% of the female participants had family history of DM. 29.3% of the male and 39.5% of the female had family history of hypertension. 24.7%, 0.6% and 2.9% smoked regularly, occasionally and in the past respectively. 2.9% subjects consumed chewed tobacco regularly, 0.3% consumed occasionally and 1.6% consumed tobacco in the past. 44.5%, 10.7%, 2.3% of the study subjects took alcohol regularly, occasionally, in the past respectively. 44.5%, 47.4% and 8.1% of the participants were involved in sedentary work, active work and heavy work respectively. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with advancement of age, family history of diabetes mellitus, family history of hypertension and sedentary life style. No significant association of diabetes mellitus with gender, tobacco consumption and alcohol intake., Conclusion: A package for the early diagnosis and management of diabetes may be initiated to bring down the morbidity and mortality in industrial population., (Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) poses a great global threat to the poultry industry. Knowledge of the occurrence of the disease is important in the design and implementation of a control program, therefore this study determines the seroprevalence of IBDV in local chickens in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State. 250 chickens were bled by exsanguination and sera obtained were screened using Agar Gel Immunodiffusion (AGID) test. The seropositivity was 51.6%, which is indicates endemicity of the disease. Biosecurity and good sanitary measures are recommended. Molecular characterization of the strains should be carried out for inclusion in generic vaccines.

Newcastle disease is a contagious disease of birds and is the greatest constraint to the development of rural poultry production in Nigeria and most developing countries. The only effective means of control is vaccination which is not properly carried out in Nigeria. Therefore, this project determined the prevalence rate of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in local chicken in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. About 5 mL of blood was collected from each of 200 chickens at the point of sale by exsanguination and sera obtained were analyzed using Haemagglutination Inhibition (HI) test to determine the prevalence of NDV. Of the 200 samples screened 34 were positive for HI antibody to NDV giving a prevalence rate of 17%. The prevalence rate obtained in this study is significant (P < 0.05) and indicates endemicity of the disease. There was no statistically significant (P > 0.05) difference in the seroprevalence of NDV antibodies among the four markets studied. Further studies are required to determine the strains circulating for appropriate preventive and control measures.

A low coercivity and, consequently, low hysteresis loss are desired properties for ferroelectric materials used in high-power and high-frequency actuators. The coercive field required for the onset of ferroelectric switching is shown to develop a strong directional anisotropy due to peculiarities of an energy surface associated with the polarization rotation. It is found that the ferroelectric anisotropy exhibits 'hard' and 'easy' switching axes similar to magnetic materials. The hard axis corresponds to 180° polarization reversal, whereas the easy axis favors 90° switching. Our results suggest that the intrinsic low coercivity and the full polarization reversal may not be achieved at the same time under uniaxial excitation. A rotating electric field excitation is proposed in order to circumvent this limitation and to guide the polarization switching along a curved path.

Background: The effect of a pulse oximeter's averaging time on time spent by premature infants in established saturation ranges, as well as on desaturation events, has not previously been reported., Objective: Our goal for this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of 2 distinct averaging times on the amount of time spent outside target oxygen saturation (SPo(2)) as well as the types and durations of desaturation events., Methods: Neonates <32 weeks' gestation requiring respiratory support were included. Each infant was studied with 2 simultaneous pulse oximeters: 1 with a short averaging time (2 seconds) and 1 with a longer averaging time (16 seconds). Time spent within different saturation ranges and the number, duration, and severity of desaturation events for each averaging time were compared by using Student's 2-tailed t test, and a P value of <.05 was considered significant., Results: The number of desaturations was greater with the 2-second averaging time; however, it did not reach significance when only desaturations of clinically significant duration were included (22.3 vs 19.4 significant events were detected by 2- and 16-second averaging time; P = .1). There was a trend for the longer averaging time to underestimate brief desaturation lasting <30 seconds (16 vs 41). Longer averaging time also tended to overestimate events of long duration that lasted >300 seconds (40 vs 20 long events). Longer averaging time tended to underestimate desaturation events of greater severity when SPo(2) was <70% (P = .01). Averaging time did not affect the time spent within various target SPo(2) ranges (P > .05)., Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that use of longer averaging time reduces the detection of brief periodic desaturation events and of greater severity. It may also interpret a cluster of shorter events as a single, prolonged episode and, thus, potentially overestimate the frequency of long events. The significance of these findings lies in the potential impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes and growth, which will need additional study.

This short communication describes the various modes of presentation, complications and management of tiger bite. All patients presenting to the emergency department with a history of tiger bite were included in the study. A total of 6 patients were admitted at the Department of Surgery, Khulna Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh, from 2003 to 2006. Injury involved different parts of the body; predominantly, the upper part. All patients needed emergency surgery including wound toileting, debridement and even reconstructive surgery. One patient died due to infective complications. Tiger bite is a major public health problem in the greater Sundarban area of Bangladesh. Timely hospitalization and effective management can save valuable human lives.

Perinatal testicular torsion is an infrequent event, the management of which has been controversial. Occurrence is rare, estimated at 1 in 7500 newborns (Kaplan, G. W., Silber, I.: Neonatal torsion--to pex or not? In: Urologic surgery in neonates and young infants. Edited by King, L.R. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co., 1988; Chapter 20, pp. 386-395). The frequency of bilateral perinatal torsion is up to 22% (J Urol. 2005;174:1579). Here, we describe two cases of bilateral asynchronous perinatal torsion, in which the only presenting abnormality on exam after birth was a unilateral scrotal mass. These cases illustrate that contralateral perinatal torsion may be present even when physical exam findings suggest unilateral involvement.

Background: Complications of suprapubic catheter insertion are rare but can be significant. We describe an unusual complication of a delayed bowel perforation following suprapubic catheter insertion., Case Presentation: A gentleman presented with features of peritonitis and feculent discharge along a suprapubic catheter two months after insertion of the catheter., Conclusion: Bowel perforation is the most feared complication of suprapubic catheter insertion especially in patients with lower abdominal scar. The risk may be reduced with the use of ultrasound scan guidance.